The Wizards came flying from their Land of Magic. They were the most powerful of sorcerers and magicians.
The Ninjas and the Samurai looked all set to take part in the war. The Ninjas were agile and skilled in martial arts, while the Samurais were skilled in fighting with samurai swords.
Then there were also the menacing Panthers, the ferocious warriors from the east. It was rumoured that each Panther had the capacity to demolish hundreds of enemy soldiers.
The army had thousands of beasts – the mystic and legendary creatures seeking riddance from the Death Lord.
The last to join were the Silent Pirates and the Solitaire Pirates, the only pirates who did not support the Death Lord.
The Scavenger addressed the vast expanse of the newly raised army, “Warriors! It is time to fight for our freedom from the evil Death Lord!”
There was a massive roar of approval.
“It’s going to be a month-long march to the Moor of Death where we take on the Death Lord,” he spoke and then paused to look at the warriors who stood before him, eager to fight.
“We start tomorrow.”
The Scavenger again paused. Then he shouted, “For a long time, we have been fugitives in our own homeland! For a long time, we have been mistreated, our family, our brothers massacred! For a long time, we have been in hiding! For a long time, we have faced this torture!”
The huge army roared back, riled up by the Scavenger’s words.
“That has now come to an end! Tomorrow… tomorrow, we start a journey to meet our destiny! Tomorrow, we journey to the final war!”
Everyone raised their swords, yelling in fury. They were ready. Ready for the battle.
The Scavenger raised his Lightening Sword, and the skies crackled. “For our family! For our friends! For the Dark World! And… for those who have sacrificed their lives for peace!”
The Scavenger lowered his sword as the army roared in front of him. “For everyone who is ready to make the supreme sacrifice… WE BEGIN THIS WAR!”
21
Next morning, the massive army led by the Scavenger started for the Moor of Death. The Scavenger and the children moved in a chariot at the front.
The army travelled the whole day, taking two breaks of one hour each for food, and a short break of half an hour for every three hours of walking. They stopped only when the sun set. After resting for the night, they again started their march. This monotonous routine continued for days together.
After about three weeks of travelling, the Scavenger stood, addressing the army. “I admire your commitment and determination. We have crossed the desert.” Pointing to a green peak ahead, a distance away, he announced, “Very soon we will reach the Moor of Death. I need a volunteer to go to the Death Lord’s place with an offer of a meeting to decide on the rules of war.”
Avalor, the Unicorn, stepped forward. “Allow me, Lord.”
The Scavenger nodded, and Avalor left.
Avalor returned after half an hour. “The meeting has been fixed after three days at the Death Lord’s Palace.”
The Scavenger nodded. “Good work, Avalor.”
Avalor nodded back and said, “I would also like to add further that I was shocked to see the congregation of the Death Lord’s Army. We must prepare well. We are up against a formidable enemy, who is much more in numbers than us.”
The Scavenger thanked Avalor who retreated back into the group of Unicorns. The Scavenger turned to address his army. Many of the warriors were starting to look unsure after hearing Avalor’s words.
“Comrades, the Death Lord’s army is here. Don’t let the numbers demoralize you. No matter how huge the Death Lord’s army might be, we have the power of goodness on our side. Nothing can defeat us. The truth has to win eventually. Are you ready?”
The army roared in affirmation, their hearts rising with the Scavenger’s words.
Next morning, as the army started marching towards the Moor of Death, Daniel asked the Scavenger, “How are we so sure that we will meet the Death Lord at the Moor of Death?”
“The Death Lord knows that the pieces of the Arcane Crown can be assembled only in the Pyramid of Destiny, which is situated in the Moor of Death. He has got just two pieces out of the seven, and we have the remaining five. The Death Lord knows that we will try everything we can to get the two pieces from him and, therefore, he will come to this place. He has, thus, located himself at the Moor, waiting for us.”
They crossed the greenery, and another stretch of barren land appeared. They kept travelling and halted only in the evening.
“We are there,” the Scavenger announced to the army. “Get ready. Eat to your fill and rest. Tomorrow at dawn, the prophesied children and I will go to the Death Lord’s Palace for the meeting.” They all pitched their tents and rested for the night.
***
The Death Lord was angry. He had never been comfortable with the thought of failure. Being the ruler of the Dark World, he had the whole Dark World under his control. However, he appeared restless. His enemies had slipped from his clutches more than once. His only hope was that his enemies would come to get the two pieces from him before proceeding to the Pyramid of Destiny to assemble all the pieces into the Arcane Crown. He had no other option than to just wait for them to arrive.
The Death Lord decided to summon the most hateful creature of the West – the King of Goblins – with the help of his dark magic.
With eyes closed, he began chanting an evil prayer. The King of Goblins appeared almost at once in front of him.
I have an important task for you, the Death Lord said in his
